Certain network switches are equipped with “port channel” capabilities, such as those described in IEEE standard 802.3ad. In an example, a network switch may use port channels to load balance packets to service appliances, via an algorithm such as hardware hashing. For example, the layer 2 (MAC) address of an incoming packet may be hashed with an algorithm such as MODULO, where the MODULO value is selected as the number of physical ports in a logical port bundle. Thus, where 4 ports are supported, for example, incoming Level 2 (“L2”) addresses may be hashed with MODULO 4, and each packet is then assigned to a port in the logical port bundle. Network appliances may be attached to each physical port, providing duplicate functionality.
Failures can be an issue with devices attached to network switches. These failures can be the result of, for example, failures in the physical link, failures in configuration, or failures in applications. When failures occur, the integrity of the system and quality of the system is compromised.